The present invention relates to an armored radome and, more specifically, to an armored millimeter wave radome.
Solid State Active Denial Technology (SSADT) relates to non-lethal, directed-energy weaponry that is designed for area denial, perimeter security and crowd control. Generally, SSADT works by heating the surface of targets, such as the skin of targeted human subjects, and has a range of about 0-100 meters (m). Implementations of SSADT can be provided as vehicle-mounted weapons or as hand-carried, portable weapons. In the former case, an SSADT system can be attached to any ground vehicle in a manner similar to the installation of the Common Remotely Operated Weapon System (CROWS) without adversely impacting the operation of the vehicle and has an output power of about 6.7 kW, an aperture size of about 25.6″×25.6″ with a capability to deliver an 18″ diameter spot size out to a range of 100 m.
Even though SSADT relates to non-lethal weaponry intended for engagements not involving armed conflict, an armored radome will still be required for handling unforeseen instances arising during those engagements. Indeed, the transition from a non-lethal to a lethal engagement and vice versa can occur at almost any point in the operation of a vehicle equipped with SSADT. For instance, during an armed conflict, a child sent out to retrieve weapons could be safely engaged and prevented from doing the job he was sent out to do without resorting to lethal force. Alternatively, if a vehicle is patrolling an area with civilians and insurgents, any civilians obstructing vehicle mobility can be safely shoved out of the way using SSADT. In this situation, where open hostilities are not in play, SSADT may be a better option than conventional kinetic based non-lethal weapons due to SSADT being silent, invisible and capable of delivering a shove effect at the speed of light whereas kinetic non-lethal weapons are noisy, very visible and can draw a crowd rather than achieve the desired de-escalation.